As a child of the 90s I had in my possession a number of small compacts containing the many guises of a small blonde curly haired doll and her friends. Polly Pocket was the ultimate girl’s plaything from the cute coloured exterior shell to the intricately unique interiors within. Oh the scenarios that would unfold from my Polly Pocket play, and once I was done I could simply snap it shut assured that the tiny dolls and their cars and other accessories were safely stored inside.

Transitioning from child to adult I saved my Polly Pocket compacts for my children to play with and my eldest daughter inherited them at age 5. She fell in love with them just as I had and often embarks on her own pocket-sized Polly adventures, often from the comfort of her very own bunk bed.

Christmas 2018 saw the return of the beloved Polly Pocket 30 years after its original launch and I for one was eager to see what Polly did next. So often, sequels are a disappointment, transforming something you loved into a caricature of its former self and losing the essence that made people fall for it in the first place. Not so in this case.

The Polly Pocket of new retains the same compact micro-scale of its predecessor, with a host of different coloured and shaped collectibles in its range, however Mattel has ensured that it has evolved with the times. No longer the one dimensional playset that presented a singular scene, albeit with moving parts, the modern Polly Pocket is filled with interactive features to take play to a whole new level.

Take the ski chalet, for example, which I bought for my daughter (almost 7yo). First of all, the effect before you’ve even opened the blue and purple shell is amazing in itself as it has the appearance of a snow globe thanks to a translucent domed exterior. This gives way to the chalet façade which is incredibly detailed and inside there are doors that open to reveal en suite toilets, stairs that extend, a fireplace which can be turned on with the flick of a little lever and all in the most gorgeous colours.

Opposite the chalet are the ski slopes where Polly can ride in the moving cable car, ride down the slope in a sledge while her friend opts for the snow board and in true Frozen spirit even “build a snowman” or open the igloo to reveal one already standing. In fact the snowman moves and in so doing operates the pedestal to allow Polly and her friend to ice skate on the little lake.

A rather fabulous feature of the new playsets too is that instead of the Polly sized holes built into the original compacts which meant Polly et al had only one means of being upright; the new sets come with stickered surfaces plus extra stickers which allow the doll’s newly rubberised bottom halves to stand wherever there is a sticker. Plus the other advantage of the rubber/plastic body combo makes these new Polly Pocket dolls rather more durable than their original counterparts whose folding mechanism eventually wore down meaning some of the dolls would just flop forwards when positioned in their holes.

To mark the return of Polly Pocket to Australia’s toy shelves, Mattel is also releasing an animated series of Polly and friends content, which will be available early this year. Each episode is designed to send positive and empowering messages to Polly’s young fans. So my fellow Millenial Mums, reignite the “Polly-passion” with the new range but just remember not to hoard them all to yourself, tempting though it may be!

There are four new products in the Polly Pocket range:

Tiny Pocket Places Assortment (RRP $8.99)

There are 8 to collect in this tiny but mighty collection which feature a specific location, two additional secret reveals, three accessories and one micro figure.

Hidden Hideouts Assortment (RRP $19.99)

Polly Pocket ‘Hidden Hideouts’ are themed compacts designed with a bow on top and an interior filled with a paper backdrop that is perforated and can be pulled out in three different sections to reveal three hidden hideouts and three surprise accessories, including two that are wearable for Polly. There are 4 to collect in this design.

Pocket World (RRP $29.99)

There are 8 Pocket World’s to collect, the Ski Chalet included, with secret reveals, micro dolls and awesome accessories within.

Hidden Places Assortment (RRP $39.99)

The largest compacts in the new range, there are just two of these styles available, including the Dance Par-taay! Case and Beach Vibes Backpack. Each one opens to reveal a larger themed Polly world with limo and boat accessories, moving features and micro dolls.

You can find the Polly Pocket range in Myer, Kmart and Big W. Or for more information visit https://play.pollypocket.com/en-us